Ratificatione in favoures of the sherreff of Taviotdaill

Our soverane lord and estates of parliament ratifies and approves to and in favoures of Sir Williame Douglas of Caverse, knycht, shereff of Taviotdaill (styllit in the chartour wnderwrittin Williame Douglas, feare of Caverse) and to his aires and assigneyes whatsomevir ane chartour granted be umquhill King James the Sexte, under the great seale, of the dait at Halyrudhouse, the last day of Julii jM vjC and auchteene yeeres, quhairby the said umquhill King James the Sext gave, granted and disponit to the said Sir Williame Douglas of Cavers, then styllit Williame Douglas, feare of Caverse, shereffe of Roxburghe, his aires and assigneyes whatsomevir heritablie, all and haill these fyve merke landis callit the kirke landis of Cavers wnderwrittin, viz: the thrie merk land of Cruike, ane merke land of Whytrige, callit Husie, and ane merke land in Cavers, callit Beige, with houss, biggings, yairdis, pairtes, pendicles and pertinentes therof whatsomevir, tigidder with advocation, donatione and right of patronage of the personage and viccarage of the paroch kirke and parochine of Caveres, with the teyndis, fruits and rentes thairof whatsomevir, lyand within the parochine of Cavers, whilkis fyve merke land and kirke of Cavers abovewrittin, with the pertinentes, of befoir perteanit heritablie to umquhill Johne, vicount of Haddingtoun, lord Ramsay of Mellrose and Barnes, and wer haldin be him of his majestie and his successoures immediatlie, and as ane pairt of the temporalitie, patrimonie and proppertie of the lordshipe of Mellrose, and were by him and his procuratoures and letters patentes laufullie resignit and overgivine in his majesties hands, and the lordis of his majesties secreet counsell, haveing his majesties pouer and commissione to receive resignationes within this kingdome, as in the handis of his superioure of the samene, mad be vertue of the act of annexatione of all kirke landis of this kingdome to the croune, and be vertewe of the act of parliament dissolveing the said lordshipe of Mellrose and erecting and creating the samene and severall landis therof in ane free and temporall lordship to be holdine blensche of his majestie purlie and simplie as use is, with all right he hade therto, in favoures and for new heritable infeftment to be givine and maide be his majestie to the said Sir Williame Douglas and his foirsaidis, quhilke infeftment conteynes ane clause de novodamus and beeres to be holdine of his majestie and his successoures in few, heritadge and free blench ferme in all tyme thaireftir be all right, meithes and merches thairof whatsoevir; as also beering in the clause of reddendo to be payed be him to his majestie of thrie punds ten shillingis at the feist of Whitsonday, and to the minister the soume of fyve hundreth merkes money, as the samene chartour conteyneing the foirsaid clause de novodamus wnder the great seale of the daite foirsaid in it selfe at mor lenth beeres in all and sindrie the heedis, poyntes, clauss, articles, circumstances and conditiones thairinconteyned and eftir the forme and tennour thairof in all poyntes. And our said soverane lord and estates of parliament willis and grantes and, for his hienes and his successours, decernes and ordeanes that this present ratificatione is and shall be alse valied and sufficient and of alse great force, strenth and effect to the said Sir Williame Douglas, his aires and successoures for bruiking the saidis fyve merke landis callit the kirkelandis of Caverse abovedesignit and haill fruites, rents, emolumentes and dewties whatsomevir abovewrittin, with advocation and donatione and right of patronage of the said paroche kirke and parochine of Caverse, teynds, fruites and rentes therof whatsoevir and otheres conteyned in the said chartour abovewrittin, as if the samene haill chartour wer at lenth speciallie ingrossit and insert de verbo in verbum in this present ratificatione, notwithstanding that the samene be not sua done; quhairanent, and with all otheres defectes, imperfectiones, objectiones whatsoevir which may be proponit or alledged againes the said chartour and validity of the samene, or this present ratificatione thairof, our said soverane lord and estates of parliament hes dispensit and be thir presentes dispenses for ever.

  1. NAS, PA2/22, f.246v-247v.